Abbott can win election, says Howard

Howard on Abbott: 'He's articulate and energetic and I think he'll make a very good fist of it'.

Glenn Cordingley: AAP

Former prime minister John Howard says new Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott can lead the Coalition to victory at the next federal election.

In a shock result this morning, Mr Abbott wrestled the leadership from Malcolm Turnbull by just one vote and promptly announced the Coalition would oppose the Government's emissions trading scheme (ETS) if its moves to send the bills to a Senate committee were unsuccessful.

Mr Howard this afternoon congratulated Mr Abbott on his election as leader.

"Tony is a man of high intelligence, great energy and his knowledge of policy issues in both the social and economic areas, as well as his background as a minister and also his journalistic experience, will stand him in good stead for the challenging time ahead," Mr Howard said.

"He'll take the fight to Kevin Rudd and the Labor Party and just as I strongly supported Malcolm Turnbull, his predecessor, Tony Abbott will have my goodwill and my very strong support.

"To Malcolm Turnbull I express my commiserations and I extend my respect. He worked tirelessly to further the interest of the Liberal Party as leader and I do hope that his energy and intelligence are not lost to public life in Australia. "

Mr Howard says the next election will be challenging, but nothing in politics can be taken for granted.

"There is no such thing as an unwinnable election, any more than there is such a thing as an unlosable election," he said.

"Anybody who has studied Australian politics will know that precedents are interesting but they're not binding."

He says Mr Abbott has made a good start and most Liberals will support their new leader.

"He's articulate and energetic and I think he'll make a very good fist of it," Mr Howard said.

"He will certainly have my goodwill and I'm sure the goodwill of the overwhelming majority of Liberal Party members throughout the country."

When asked how active he had been in Mr Abbott's rise to the leadership, Mr Howard said he had spoken regularly with all three leadership contenders because his goal "is to see the Liberal Party restored to government".

"I've taken the approach that if anybody wants my advice, they can seek it and I'm happy to give it," he said.

"I want only one thing, I want a return to Canberra of a Liberal government as soon as possible and I will work as much as I can in the background to help the Liberal Party and to help its leader, now Tony Abbott, to achieve that goal."

But Mr Howard stopped short of directly calling on Liberal MPs to unite behind their new leader.

"I think all of those things have been said by the appropriate people," he said.

"I'm no longer in Parliament. I'm an interested observer, I'm keen to help and I wish the party well and I know I speak for everybody in saying that we'll all give Tony all the possible assistance."